Toyota Tacoma vs Nissan Frontier

Comments

Guys, listen, and listen closely! Think about who the Tacoma caters too! The Toyota is built for off-road and rugged use in a truck that will undoubtedly last forever; longer than any Chevy or Ford! However, you guys are rating these two trucks (Tacoma and Frontier) based off of "who cares" factors!! Ride comfortability, cabin noise on the highway, roomy interior, and PRICE! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, REMEMBER THAT!!! Toyotas are not cheap for a good reason, they last longer than people!!!! Hey, if you want to worry about dependability, go ahead and get your Nissan, Chevy, or Ford, and when I'm in the shop for a routine oil change, I'll see you getting your second engine or transmission installed!!! HAHAHA!!!! And ad far as off-road, you know as well as I do, nothing beats a TACO! We are the JEEP recovery vehicles! I am the proud owner of a 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 reg. cab with a 3" suspension lift, 33/12.5/15 tires on 15x8 Pro Comp wheels...2.7 cyl DOHC 5 speed manual with 102,000 miles. I wouldn't drive anything else!!!!!

i own a chevy!! OWNED 2 NISSANS GREAT TRUCKS!! now a chevy,i hate it !! chevy should work on making a better motor that will better mpgs, the 4.3 stinks real bad!!toy& Nissan have more hp and they even get better mpg then i do,something wrong with this picture. wake up and smell the coffee chevy!!!I would never boy another chevy truck AGAIN!! ONE PLUS THE STERO AND AC ROCK,THE SEAT SIT SO DARN LOW,I THOUGHT I WAS SITTING IN 2WD TRUCK,SO I SIT ON A PILLOW NOW.

I bought an 05 Tacoma five months ago and I've had enough of it. I've had every one of the common problems people report with the truck--cab mount bolt rattle, windshield water leak, brake shudder, acceleration vibration, and worst of all severe paint chipping. All I do with it is take it in for service and drive around in a different loaner car every month while I continue to make payments on it. I'm seriously considering trading it in for the Frontier, but I want to know if there are any common problems with the Frontier like there are with the Tacoma. Basically, I just want a truck I can rely on and drive every day, not something I have to take in for service week after week after week. Is that too much to ask for? My truck's currently in the shop for the paint problem (11 days in a loaner car for this problem so far and counting . . . ) and I'm stuck driving a Corolla, but as soon as I get it back I'm going to start looking for a new truck. I'm hoping it'll look presentable enough to sell or trade-in. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest, my Tacoma experience so far has been a big fat ZERO. I don't want to make the same mistake again, which is why I'm asking about the Frontier.

If you having that many problems trade it in ( although it might cost you). I'm a big tacoma guy but if your having that many problems you should get something you feel more comforable in.

IMO, you'll sacrifce some capability and probably lose the ammount of support (because nissan is a smaller company) but It's statisiclly improbable you would get the same number of problems. (Plus I want a cheap used 2005 tacoma).

If the shop has your car for too long you can get a new one under the lemon laws in your state.

The least they could do is give you a Tacoma or Tundra as a loaner... If you bought it 5 months ago, it was early in the production cycle and they obviously hadn't worked out all the bugs yet. Unless you have to bring it back for the same issues (which you didn't mention), then your dealer seems to be taking care of you. Regardless, it still sucks to have a new truck that's known for reliability but that's been in the shop since you got it...

If you're seriously considering trading it, before you go to Nissan, try getting the dealership to take it back and give you a new one. They can make the first one a demo, and put it back on the lot. If they're confident that it's fixed properly, why wouldn't they take it? The Nissan dealer probably won't give you as much for it as your dealer.

You chose a Tacoma over the Frontier originally, so I suggest you do what you can to stick with a Tacoma... just a few thoughts...

After test driving both the Tacoma and Frontier trucks (on 3 occassions at 3 separate dealers) here are my observations: (Tacomas that I drove were access cab 4WD, auto trans with TRD off road #2 package. Frontiers were king cab 4WD, auto trans with NISMO package. Both had the V6)

Engine/Power- Nissan felt like it had more guts with crisper shift points. Although, the Toyota felt smoother and seemed like it could rev forever without reaching a red line. The Nissan accelerated quickly, but I'd be willing to bet that the speed was a little deceiving and 0-60 or quarter mile times for both trucks would be very, very close. Both engines had plenty of power and torque.

Suspension/Handling-I think both trucks felt solid and could easily handle any terrain. The Tacoma rode a little bit better as the Frontier felt "springy" and bounced around a little bit more. However, the steering in the Frontier felt tighter and not as "loose" as the Tacoma. At highway speed, both trucks were similar.

Exterior-This would have to be based on personal preference. The Frontier's front end looks great, but for some unknown reason Nissan decided to leave the rear access door hinges exposed and clearly visible when looking at the truck from the rear. Given this and the way the sheetmetal is formed on the front of the box, it almost reminds me of a Ford Explorer Sport Trac (which isn't a good thing). The Tacomas that I drove were sharp, but in other configurations, they didn't look as good. So again, personal preference.

Interior-This is the one category where Toyota is the clear winner. The Tacoma interior was more comfortable, had much more space, and just looked better. I think Nissan built a solid truck with a great powertrain and COMPLETELY missed with the mark with their interior. Things I didn't like aout the Frontier were- no space behind the front seats whatsoever. I am only 5'8" and with the drivers seat comfortably adjusted, I don't know if a set of golf clubs would fit in the back without having to jam and force the bag in. And, don't even think about putting adult (or child) passengers back there. One time, one of my friends went on the test drive and had to sit sideways with his knees in his face. The Tacoma just had a lot more room. Also on the Frontier, the center console arm rest is much lower than the arm rest on the door and sits back too far. This makes the driver feel lopsided when grasping the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock and drove me nuts. However, the seats in both trucks were very supportive and comfortable. The Nissan interior also had an overuse of plain black plastic. For example, the entire door panel was plain black plastic. And the dash....plain black plastic. The Tacoma had better trim and finishes on the doors, dashboard, and gauges. The seats in the Tacoma are a little low as some people have stated. I would have to disagree with other complaints about road and wind noise; I thought both trucks were quiet enough and didn't notice anything worth mentioning.

Price-A Toyota will cost a grand or two more, but you're getting a bigger, roomier truck with a slightly higher resale...so I'd say both trucks are equal.

Overall-Both trucks would be good choice, but I'd have to say the Tacoma is slightly better because of the interior. Nissan greatly improved the '05 model from last year, but just did some things with the interior that I don't understand.

After thoroughly checking out the Tacoma and the Frontier (both Crew cabs 4X4), I am voting with my wallet for a new Frontier LE 4X4. I placed my order today for a new Frontier 4x4 LE Crew cab.Why? The Nissan is loaded with real engineering merit and sensible designs. The interior is functional, not like the garrish arcade game setup of the Toyota.

The Nissan has 4 wheel disc brakes, not the 1965 drum arrangement of Toyota. Toyota needs to come into the 21st century. Drum brakes?????? Doh! Another hidden cost cutting move by Toyota that the naive truck buyer won't notice. After all, brakes aren't that important, are they? That's what Toyota obviously believes.

The Nissan has a full BOXED frame made of super high tensile strength steel and not a half frame like Toyota. Wait till the Toyota guys twist their body while snagging a heavy tow load. A full frame is ESSENTIAL in a truck. Toyota has a toy mentality. It looks tough but it is a sissy underneath. The Nissan has vitally important curtain air bags, Toyota has zilch. Good luck in an accident if you have a Toyota. Sitting in the Frontier, my left leg can relax and has full room due to engineers providing extra clearance in the door panel. The Frontier has a whopping 3" more hip room than the Toyota which makes for that real comfort while driving. Toyota clearly does not care about comfort and space for American legs as the door panel protrudes into your leg and bruises you on long drives. The cargo box track sliding mechanism in the Frontier is SUPER heavy duty and super trick. The Toyota track is pure Mickey Mouse crap. Really, it is small, dinky and quite a laughable arangement.

The drive experience of the Nissan was more responsive, better feedback steering control, more responsive braking than the Toyota. Its got an enlarged free breathing engine with CONTINUOUSLY variable valve timing and variable intake manifold based on the 350Z class engine. That's what Porsche and Ferrari does on its engines to help generate more power grunt with better economy. There is even two cigarette outlets in the dash (switched and always on) for accessories. Nice. The radio sounds wonderful and even has a knob to tune stations instead of the insideous all digital rocker button nonsense. Toyota sings the tune but does not walk the walk. The Toyota engineers are mainly about marketing the 'look' but not the machine. The clear proof of this statement is the hood scoop on the high end sport models. It is there but it is totally cosmetic, it does not work, it does not help, it is a wart on the hood. Nissan is all about performance and pure engineering design in my book. Toyota has succumbed to just trying to suck in the weak minded and inexperience people to buy the sizzle and not care about the steak. No flames please. This entire post is based on my experience over the past week conscientiously comparing the two vehicles. Nissan is a clearly a better vehicle than its comparable Toyota model, hands down.

i am sorry you feel so strongly against toyota, i proudly own a 05 tacoma and love every minute of driving it, long drives are very comfortable, i feel i made a very good choice in my purchase. tacoma has side airbags on selected options, just as nissan, tacoma has strong crash test ratings from the nhtsa. i have put 6000 miles on my tacoma in four months and all seems well with no problems, thank you

I am a proud owner of a 05 trd sport a/t dc I did went around and looked at both and I have to admit that Nissan and Toyota are both great trucks.In regard the toyota having drum brakes in the rear other than having too many moving partsthe performance is as good as disc remember that your truck will brake using the front about 70%and the rear 30%. greetings fig.

BJW1: I am not strongly against Toyota as you erroneously state. They build a fine quality vehicle. In this case however, I feel that after comparing the Tacoma to the Frontier, Toyota seriously falls short in major areas. Mind you, these are actual shortcommings, not subjective opinions or groundless reasons. The frame, the brakes, the interior room, the engine, the traction controls, lack of roof rack, weak cargo box rail system, failure to offer curtain air bags (which save your life!), all combine to cause me to discount the value of the Toyota and select the Nissan. No frame, no air bags, and drum brakes put the kabosh on Toyota Tacoma. There's no denying these major defects in the Toyota design.

Prior to this, I always favored Toyota. Now, after investigation, I find that Nissan has emerged as the leader through brute engineering skill and providing real added value for their customers.BTW, when I first went to the Toyota dealer after seeing the Nissan dealer, the operations manager at Toyota asked me what I was compaing their Tacoma to. When I replied a Nissan Frontier, he actually sneered at me and then snickered. I was indignant at his rudeness and asked him to verbalize his obvious feelings and not sniker in my face. He remained silent. This is not a good sign at Toyota. His arrogance is ungrounded and totally misplaced. Dealers must uphold a respectful demeanor or out the door I go. Best of luck and enjoy your new Toyota.

I'm researching a lot before I buy. I'm under 3 years till retirement and my next truck maybe my last. I'm an avid surf fisherman and run sandy beaches ofVA,NC,SC alot. My truck must have torque sand bogs down the 4 cyl. XE 4X4 and I have to really get into it in lose sand., I have marked off the Honda because it hasALL/WD and doesn't offer low range. I'm down to Dodge,Nissan and Toyota. Shame about Honda though thier quality is right there with the Toy. Like Dakota but leary of buying Chrysler product,they don't have track as good as TOY, or Nissan. Have seen both Frontire & Tacoma both are outstanding trucks, Toy has better reliability record then Nissan,but I've seen many Nissans P/U's with a Zillion miles on them also. Price Nissan is cheaper and is quite a good buy, the Toy has the Rep for toughness, do I want to pay the extra $2000.00 for a Toyota comprably equiped, don't know thats why I'm reading thread here. Great Thread Here!

Had an 01 Silverado Z71 4x4 extended cab that I traded for an 05 Frontier NISMO CC 4x4. Silverado was a great truck, decent mileage from the 5.3 (14-16 vs. EPA 15-18). I wanted a narrower truck with better off-road capability.Short list was Tacoma, Frontier, and Ridgeline. Colorado looks good but I agree with the press that it is nowhere near the competition. Dakota was impressive but lacks ground clearance, and power output from Dakota V8&#146;s is less than Toyota, Nissan, and Honda V6&#146;s.Tacoma was cut because it uses premium vs. regular, back seat folding is not as flexible as Honda and Nissan, real-world back seat room is less than Honda and Nissan, and lowest point on the undercarriage is the central exhaust crossmember, so despite having the highest body clearance, the exhaust will be damaged when off-roading. Toyota owner&#146;s forums report a lot of quality problems with the 05 Tacoma. If I were looking at Tacoma, I would consider an 04 before an 05.Honda and Nissan were my final two. I am biased towards Honda because of previous good experience with an 02 Odyssey, 04 Accord, and 05 Odyssey. Went to the Ridgeline press introduction in January; before they chased me out I learned the undercarriage of the Ridgeline is virtually identical to the MDX and Pilot: this vehicle is not made for real off-roading. The exhaust is the lowest point from front to rear, and the brake lines run along the bottom of the frame rails. If you &#147;ride the rails&#148; off road like I do, you will do serious damage and disable the vehicle. In addition, the AWD system has serious limitations for true off-roading. The Ridgeline had trouble hill climbing at Honda&#146;s own press introduction, and I believe Edmunds abandoned the off-road portion of their Ridgeline test. Off-roading aside, Ridgeline owner&#146;s are reporting some initial quality problems (check vtec.net), but nowhere near the problems Tacoma owners are having. If I were not interested in off-roading, I would have had a hard time choosing between the Ridgeline and the Frontier. Ridgeline is wider, has more back seat room, a better center console, and the in-bed trunk is quite useful. Frontier is a &#147;true&#148; truck with incredible off-road hardware, amazing power on regular gas, great bed-features with util-track, and more availability of aftermarket parts.I&#146;ve had my 05 NISMO CC 4x4 since late January. About 9000 miles now. EPA 15-20, actual 16-18. I can get the mileage as low as 13 when off-roading, or as high as 19-20 when cruising under 70. Most of my in-town tanks are 16-17; freeway at 75-85 comes in at 17-18. The built in mileage computer is VERY accurate, always within a couple tenths of what I measure manually.The engine rattle was minor and I probably wouldn&#146;t have squawked about it if I wasn&#146;t aware of the TSB from reading this forum. I sit with the seat all the way back and have a bit of a blind spot when changing lanes to the left as compared to my Silverado. I&#146;m still waiting for someone to make an aftermarket lift-kit to go with the new 05 suspension design; the off-road capability of the stock hardware exceeds the available ground clearance.Overall, this is an awesome truck that is one of the best kept secrets out there. MT picked the Tacoma for dubious reasons, which has helped Tacoma sales. Everyone else has picked either the Ridgeline or Frontier. Off-roading leaves the Ridgeline out, but otherwise I would look closely at both the Honda and Nissan to see which you like better. The 05 Frontier is my first Nissan in 23 years, and I like it better everyday.

Back in 2001 when I was ready to purchase my first brand new truck, I wanted to consider Nissan, but they had switched to that UGLY front end (IMHO) and my wife was sold on Toyota name for quality and maintaining value. Guys at work and on the Internet said the 22R engine was the best and one guy at work has over 400,000 miles on his Toy w/ 22R. So we purchased a 2001 Tacoma with 2.7 A/T 4x4 Access Cab. I could not believe it had drum brakes in the rear when everyone else including F-150's had 4 wheel discs! One day I wanted to wash it. I started it to move it in the driveway and shut it off. Afterward, I tried starting it and it wouldn't start! I had it towed to the dealer 35 miles away only to be told it flooded! A fuel injected rig FLOODED! I was told that problem began showing up in 2001 engine. There was also another problem. When I started it, the engine would clack like it was a diesel! Another trip to the dealer shop only to be told it was perfectly normal for a little "piston slap" when the engine was cold. It also bounced all over the highway and was gutless as heck (my fault for buying a/t). So I just traded it in 2 weeks ago for a 2005 Nissan Frontier LE 4x4 a/t KC. All I have to say is OMG!!! Now THIS is a truck! This thing hauls butt in any gear, up hills no problem. They got it right with the 5 speed automatic. First tune-up is not until 105,000 (my Toy needed it every 30,000). The ride is smooth and quiet and POWERFUL. If there are a couple of boneheads plugging up the fast lane and don't have the sense to move over and I see a gap...ZIP...in nothing flat, I'm around them and GONE! 4 wheel discs w/ ABS, throaty sounding muffler tells you "WHO'sYOUR DADDY!!!" Seats are comfortable and the cabin is so quiet, my wife practically falls asleep everytime we go somewhere. Factory spray-in liner w/ utilitrack system is great! Uses regular gas and I am getting between 17 and 18 mpg average. Toyota screwed me once and maybe they got a little better in '05, but they won't get my business again! I'm sold on Nissan!

I don't know how you could consider the Tacomas' frame weak. I witnessed a dealer demonstration in Jacksonville FL where they had the Tacoma and all of the competition (including Nissan) with one wheel on a ramp. The intent is to show body flex. The Tacoma was the only truck that you could open the doors and tailgate on. On most, if you got the door open, it wouldn't shut.BYW, side curtain airbags are an option.I've had Toyota's for years and love them. I also had Nissans. Currently, I have a 2005 Tacoma 4 door TRD sport and a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder Limited. To me, the quality of the Toyota is unmatched. My old Tacoma had 240K on it and was never in the shop. Right now, the Pathfinder is in the shop for a check engine light and the Navigation System has a busted button ($3000 to Fix!). The nissan only has 70K on it and just doesn't see to be holding up well.You don't have to use Premium fuel in the Tacoma. They recommend it for maximum performance, but you can run regular. I usually run 89 and get around 21 MPG.

Yes, side curtain air bags are an option. So, what is your point? Air bag curtains are an extra cost option typically on all vehicles except the ultra luxury cars like Mercedes, Beemer, Lexus. We are talking about small trucks that can crumple like an empty cigarette pack when involved in accidents. Side air bags are ESSENTIAL. Those that don't acknowledge this fact are bone heads and leave themselves and their occupants at serious risk.

You completely and deliberately side step the point. Toyota does not even offer air bags. That is a critical shortcomming. Nissan wisely offers them and at a very fair price to help save occupants from deadly or critical bodily harm. I am not attacking Toyota but only stating the serious and glaring differences between the Toyota's vehicle and Nissan's. Please don't respond defensively, for you are wasting your time. There is not need for it.

As a fairly new member I have had to spend 3 nights reading this thread to read all ofthe posts. I have found a lot of good information along with some just as soon not readmatter.

Two months ago I went through this same process of picking a new truck. I looked at several different trucks, but only drove the Tacoma and the Frontier. At my age I donot any longer drive hard so I found it difficult to tell one drove better than the other.

As a little background I have owned 2 Toyotas and 8 Datsun/Nissans. I had a 1969Toyota Crown new. I kept it 6 months and got rid of it as it was in the shop more than it was in my garage. My wife now drives a 2000 Solara which is probably the nicest carwe have ever owned. we have also gotten more compliments on how nice it looks thanany other car we have owned. We have had it 5 years and had to do nothing to it, but drive it and enjoy it.

I have had 5 Datsun/Nissan cars and have never had any trouble other than normalmaintenance on any of them. I have had 3 Datsun/Nissan trucks. A 1977 KC that Idrove for 24 years and 175,000 miles. I had to replace a couple of water pumps andgenerators, but nothing serious. I had a 2000 XE KC which I kept for 5 years and20,000 miles. Again no problems with it. The only reason I don't still own it is the factthat it did not have enough power with the automatic transmission and the air.

I don't think in this discussion we should even consider the looks as they are purely amatter of personal taste. It seems like the majority on this thread think the Tacoma isthe best looking. I on the other hand think the Frontier is better looking by far. Justbecause I like the Frontier does not make it better looking.

I actually was leaning toward the Tacoma because I liked the bed set up much better.I thought the Nissan utili-trac system looked a bit too much for the size of the truckand I thought the bed material in the Tacoma looked better. I also liked the tailgate onthe Tacoma better, It had a counter balance system that made it very easy to use.On the other hand the Frontier tailgate was very heavy to lift and it has that ugly plas-tic in the middle of it, a definite turn off for me.

I am 67 years old, 5' 7 1/2" tall, and weigh 133 pounds. That is probably why I found the tailgate to be a problem on the Frontier.

As much as has been said about the interior of the Tacoma being so much better, I didnot like it as well as the Frontier. I found the seats in both to be acceptable, althoughneither were nearly as comfortable as the seats in my wife's Toyota Solara. Yes I knowit is a car and not a truck.

When I compared the dealers although neither were what I would call really good the edge did go to the Nissan dealer. None of the salesmen knew very much about theirproducts. I took the brochures of both and read them and no smarter than I am I knewmore about their trucks than they did.

I found the Toyota brochure to be very difficult to read and pick out the options I want-ed. I was also daunted at every turn on both when I wanted one thing and had to takesomething else I didn't want to get the one thing I did want. I loved the good old days when you could go to the dealer and order each item you wanted separately. I guessyou would call that a line item veto.

The clincher was the price. Toyota offered me a little over $5000 which was not even wholesale on my 2000 Nissan. It was low miles and hardly a scratch on it. They did say that they would knock $1000 off the list price of the Tacoma.

Nissan allowed me $10,000 on my XE plus they knocked $1100 off of the list on theirFrontier. They also offered to let me have several accessories I wanted at their cost.

I did not see about $6000 difference in the two trucks, especially when the Frontier hasmore options on it than the Tacoma. I don't think resale would ever make up that differ-ence.

Having said all of that they are both nice trucks and I am sure I could be happy witheither one. I'll have to say that of all of the trucks that I have owned this Frontier hasgotten more compliments than all of the others together. At this rate we will receivemore compliments on it than on the Solara.

Let's all be happy with what we have and be even happier for those who have chosenthe brand we didn't.

I recently bought the Tacoma and my owners manual states the fuel type as regular unleaded. I asked the dealer about it at purchase (I had heard the same "Premium Recommended") and they said no way. You could run premium and maybe get a little perfomance boost, but it is built for regular.

Have you actually sat in and driven a Tacoma and Frontier for comparison or just looked at brochures and pictures?.....just wondering how the Frontier interior has more space and room and is more functional than Tacoma??? I guess it's a good thing that those Nissan engineers thought of using a flat slab of plastic for the door panels.....now all those drivers that drive with their leg glued into the door rather than keeping their foot on the floor push pedal or clutch pedal will be much happier????? huh?

From the articles, what you get at the US gas pump as "regular unleaded" is what the manual considers "Octane Rating 87" (the Road Octane Number). The Research Octane Number is typically used outside North America. I could see how this all would be confusing as saying 91 when referring to Research Octane Number coincidentally is the Road Octane Number corresponding to "Premium" fuel.

Bottom line: '05 Tacoma takes regular. You can use premium if you like for better performance, in fact, it's not a bad idea while towing or other strenuous activities.

I live in the Republic of Panama and am trying to make a decision for a new truck. The Toyota Hi lux (4x4) has a 2.5 liter turbo diesel with a single cab and sells here for $19,500. The Nissan Frontier(4x4) also with a single cab has a 3.2 liter naturally aspirated diesel and sells for $16,900. The Toyota diesel has a timing belt that needs to be replaced every 100,000K whereas the Nissan diesel has gears. Toyota just changed this year to a turbo. In the past they used a 2.8 liter naturally aspirated diesel which also had the belt. Toyota is the number one seller here but I am leaning towards the Frontier because of price and the fact that a turbo is more expensive to repair if there are any problems. It seems the Frontier can carry a bigger load. Both trucks have 5 speed manual transmissions. Because of fuel costs almost all new trucks are diesel here. I would appreciate any ones opinion.